Dress To Impress On a Budget

Whether you agree with it or not, in today’s society, appearance is everything, especially when it comes to your career. This can be a lot of pressure if you’re living your life on a shoestring budget, and can seem a daunting task, especially for men, who seemingly have seriously less clothing options than women. Fear not, as we’ve put together a list of things you can do to update your wardrobe and look fantastic at work – even on a budget.

1. Suited and BootedPicking out a suit is the perfect starting point for improving your appearance in the workplace swapping those black jeans for a suit can make even the scruffiest among us ten times more presentable. There are a few key things to remember when purchasing a suit, firstly, how easy is it to clean? If you are going to be wearing the suit on a day to day basis, you probably won’t have the time to get it professionally dry cleaned at the end of each week, so making sure you choose something that’s machine washable, or at least hand washable is strongly advised. Ensure that it is the best quality that you can afford as this will reflect on how well it washes, and will save you money in the long run. Secondly, choose a colour that can be matched up to other colours, chances are, you’ll probably only own one or two suits for work purposes, but you’ll have a wider choice of shirts in your wardrobe to help keep the appearance of a whole new outfit every day.
2. ShoesShoes are often the detail that let people down, especially where first impressions are concerned. Shoes that are left unpolished and scuffed will make just about the same impression as teaming your suit with your favourite pair of sneakers. When buying shoes, pick something that you’re comfortable wearing, but that will also go with the colour and style of your suit -a black suit and brown brogues are not the best colour match. Remember to opt for a classic, easy to clean style of shoe, brogues or loafers are safe choice as they don’t date and are relatively cheap too.

3. Add a TieAlthough they are often an item seen to be worn one by either stuffy businessmen or grooms, adding a tie to your shirt can automatically improve your image. Whatever your style you can be sure to find something to suit your image, from bow ties, to standard neckties and a good quality scarf doesn’t have a to cost you a small fortune. There are plenty of retailers who supply good quality ties in a wide array of styles, to suit your budget. Remember to step away from those novelty numbers, as nothing screams cheap like a tie covered top to bottom in your favourite cartoon character.

4. Act With Confidence
As obvious as it sounds, if you walk with an air of confidence about you, then the way people see you can improve vastly. We look up to those with confidence, as they appear effortlessly cool, and this is something you can easily achieve. Even though you might be stressed out on the inside, something as simple as flashing a smile instead of sounding off can give off the appearance of a cool, confident demeanour. The best aspect of this, it that it costs nothing and is something just about anyone can do with ease.

Whatever your style, I hope this guide helps you to improve your wardrobe and your appearance. Sometimes it’s the simple changes that can make a whole world of difference, it’s all about finding out what works best for you.